


all too human (they grow like giants)

by littlemisssunmin



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Comfort, DNF, FML, Fluff, I Wrote This On My Phone, M/M, Tags to be added, friends to lovers but not really, it works, no beta we die like men, non-existent almost, occasional hugs and kisses included, please don't actually ship real people, share space and time, the line between platonic and romantic love is a very thin one, they are comfortable, two boys live a life together, who cares what they are
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:01:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28172097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlemisssunmin/pseuds/littlemisssunmin
Summary: If you, like me, can't get enough of the storyline, where one of them is visiting the other for all the different reasons, then I may have the hundreth variation waiting for you to be read.One were they don't have even any particular life-changing reason to head off towards another country, but just because they want to.It ezz what it ezz.I, myself, am not quite sure, where this will go. But I would like to just write a couple of scenes, a bit of domestic fluff, a bit of late night conversations, a bit of secret cuddles at dawn. We'll have to see I guess. But I hope you will enjoy it.title from the lyrics of Broken Sleep - Agnes Obel (go listen, it is so good)
Relationships: Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF)
Kudos: 7





	all too human (they grow like giants)

**Author's Note:**

> I do not watch their streams. I'm old.  
> I watched Minecrack and Hermitcraft, and got swamped by the Dream SMP on my fyp, obviously leading me down the rabbithole of heatwaves and dnf... so yea, hi, I guess!  
> I practically speedran the dnf tag over the last couple weeks, caught up on the main server's lore, but never actually watched their streams. Thus I'll warn you that a lot may not fit very well, as my version of these characters stems from snippets on tiktok and fanfics alone. I do hope you will find them in my writing, the way I do.
> 
> What I did watch, was trainwrecks ScuffedPodcast, which convinced me to post my beginning of the story on ao3. I never shipped real people and felt a little uncomfortable, but Dream's statements on the podcast made me change my mind.
> 
> og titel on my phone: this is the dumbest idea I had all year, I blame the pandemic
> 
> sorry, for the long note!
> 
> Here we go!

# all too human (they grow like giants)

* * *

It had been supposed to be a joke.

Until it wasn’t anymore.

One and a half years ago, before they started their server and began to upload videos, gaining the big hype surrounding them, that they now found themselves in, the four friends were simply chatting on discord. Bad, Dream, Sapnap and George. Each of them busy researching, playing minecraft and coding. They didn't often did these things together on call. At least not in a group call like then. But for some odd reason on that day they had ended up in one.

The usual lighthearted banter shared between them ensued half-way in and only increased once Dream kept whining about the supposedly deadly heat he was forced to endure. Pure torture with the humid air and damned storms, paraphrased in their friend’s own agonising words.

George was fast to counter and argue that in fact winter was even worse. With the biting wind, frozen fingers and appalling many layers of clothing one had to wear to make it through the day.

Though obviously both were rather extremes, George had to admit to himself unfortunately. It wasn’t like it dropped below zero very often in the UK. Especially with the changing climate knocking at their door, the winter’s turning milder each year. It didn’t stopped him from complaining, he just didn’t dealt well with the cold in general.

A year of pleasant 15 to 30 degrees at any point of time sounded perfect to him. Like music to his ears.

The others must surely have had similar thoughts to him at that exact moment, as Sapnap opened his big loud mouth, only to deafen them as he wheezed into his microphone.

„Guys! Guys! You should live parttime together to escape your summer and winter nightmares. Have the best of both worlds. How funny would that be?“

How funny indeed.

From there out on it remained an inside joke for the longest time.

However without being explicitly mentioned on stream or at a recording session, the lighthearted teasing comments, referencing Sapnaps suggestion known only to them, would come up every once in a while. It never quite went away. Always immediately present again and thrown into any private conversation between them to shut Dream and George up, should one of the two boys start complaining too much about their current weather situation.

Moments certainly added up quick.

Dream casually telling Bad in a laugh, that he couldn’t wait to enjoy a day, and walk, along the English rocky coast, without fearing to die a heat death. Like he seemingly suffered from every year in Florida.

George cheery teasing that he could burn all of his stupidly thick winter coats at last, as soon as he could spend his future winters in bearable temperatures. Even if it hadn’t really snowed or the country frozen over in years.

The worrying problem emerging was that over the last couple of month it somehow didn’t sounded any longer ike the hilarious jokes it once had been.

Instead it carried the notion that it was inevitable from happening one day. Even Sapnap and Bad seemed to had transitioned into strictly assuming the two best friends to at least spend a while with each other in person rather sooner than later. The references were constant in their private group chats, kept from the rest of their friends.

George had to concede to have caught himself a couple of times already checking the prices for flights to Orlando. Every single time he had closed the tabs as soon as the search results had almost finished to load up, in sheer panic of his own actions, once he realised them.

And then happened this one late evening in January, close to three month ago, after new years. The two boys had just gotten into bed, after a long day of testing plugins, while their respective schedules surprisingly easy matched up downright perfect for a couple of days. They had unquestionably stayed on a private call over their phones as they too often did. Even while they got ready and changed into more comfortable clothes. George had groaned unamused, the faint shiver of the cold clearly audible in his voice, as he buried himself under not just two, but three blankets in his bed. All the ones he owned, in anattempt to keep warm. His heater had broken down earlier that day and his building’s caretaker could only come tomorrow to check up on it for repairs as George, to his agony, had been told.

It was then that Dream had brought it up. For the very first time in all seriousness, missing the usual edge in his tone, without a voiced complain or joke to prompt it.

„You should actually come and visit me. I mean it. I could buy you a ticket right now. Just pack some things and I’d come pick you up from the airport by tomorrow evening. We wanted to do it for forever now. Why not over winter like we had planned? Here in Orlando I have very comfortable...“ The voice cut off, there were some soft clicking sounds of a keyboard for a moment, before it returned. „25 degrees.“ Another brief pause followed. „Can that be right? It seems like an incredibly low number. No wonder you are freezing over there in Britain.“

George found himself giggling, almost regretting it, as he thought he sounded stupid, amused over such a silly joke. A warm blush spread across his face. He was overly grateful that Dream couldn’t see him in that moment.

„I don’t know. We have never seen each other in person before. And travelling so far sounds...“ he broke off, unsure what the word he was searching for was in the first place.

Uncomfortable came close, but made little sense to the complexity of his feelings.

He wasn’t a big traveler.

But more importantly he wasn’t a people person. Not in the strictly extroverted sense. Which also wasn’t right.

He enjoyed being around others immensely. Talking to them, laughing with them. He was shy, okay, but he was also open and hopefully friendly and funny enough, that people would enjoy his company too. Just not in person. He preferred to be on his own. In his room. Separated by a screen and microphone. That’s why he was so glad to be able to earn money the way he did. Even if it meant that half of his day was spent at night and vice versa, to adjust for the timezones inbetween them.

And Dream in turn was somehow afraid of people recognising him, seeing behind the faceless online persona he had created. He was confident. Cocky even. But he also valued the privacy that came with his face hidden from the public. At least that was what George believed after years of friendship.

They were doomed to be separated til death did them apart.

The silence went on for too long and George regretted not having agreed to Dream’s idea. It would have been so easy too. He would bet that his friend would have bought him a plane ticket by now, as George would frantically run through his apartment in a frenzy to get his suitcase packed. Obviously not quite. Someone had to take care of his pet’s George supposed.

„Okay.“ Dream sighed heavy, defeated. George certainly felt even guiltier now to have caused his best friend’s discontent. He was just about ready to apologise, when Dream went on to talk, to George’s very surprise. „I guess that leaves me no other choice than to come to you instead.“

George's immediate reaction was to clumpsily grab for his phone. The same one he earlier had let fall thoughtlessly out of his hand, right next to his head on the pillow. Now it was clutched in a tight grasp of his fingers. George’s reflection staring dumbly back at him from the black screen, absolutely bewildered, as his eyes were wide open in shock.

Did he just hear that correctly?

Dream always declared that George would come visit _him_. That he‘d fly George right to _his_ doorstep in Florida. That Florida was the best place on earth that _he_ could never leave behind.

And so George had presumed it was an unspoken given, that it was on him to visit Dream first. It was the case in all their shared jokes and nowadays non-jokes. On- and offline.

Not once had it been the other way around, if it wasn’t for their grand idea of spending summers together in the UK.

„Excuse me?“ It fell of his lips. Him, strikingly dumbstruck.

„Well, I probably could come in April or so, I guess. Stay for a month to see how it works out. And then we can decide and figure out what we do with the rest of the summer and the following winter if you are up for it. Should we be ready to kill each other by May, then we will consider this plan to be a disaster, that should have better stayed a joke. What do you say?“

„O-o-okay.“ George agreed, nearly choking on his one word reply, even before he had fully registered it. This dangerously almost felt like an out-of-body experience. He wasn’t in control of his own actions at that point. Who was instead, he couldn’t tell.

„For real? Okay!“ Dream sounded so overwhelmingly excited. A rare honest burst of emotion even for his standard on their private calls, that had George swallow down the lump in his throat. George would never not be able to say yes and allow his best friend to come to his place. Not after Dream‘s reaction. Hell he could move in tomorrow, if his best friend would ask for it. It was scary how much power Dream sometimes had over him.

„Fuck. Let me actually plan this a little. This wasn’t really where I thought we would be today. But alright. So, uh, do you actually have a spare room?“

He wanted to laugh and tell Dream that he didn’t, suggest to him that he could just sleep next to George. A too familiar and comfortable quip. But he was still too stunned to be in any functional condition to joke around. So he told him the truth instead.

„I do. It is a bit small maybe and there is not much in it right now, other than some empty boxes. I somehow was convinced that I would use it as my office when I moved in, but it never happened. I liked to be in my room way too much.“

„Perfect! Then we just have to organise some furniture. Makes it much easier.“

„I guess.“

Wait what?

„Okay. Maybe you can take care of that, as it is your apartment obviously. I’m fine with everything, so fit it to your style. Just don’t get me a small sofa to sleep on. I‘ll see what to do about my set up. We obviously both need to be able to work simultaneously.“ George heard some rustling and then naked feet scurrying over a bared floor, as Dream must have gotten out of bed. „What’s your address?“

This whole thing had happened so fast it made George dizzy. He nonetheless found himself unlocking his phone to dm Dream over discord. His best friend certainly had it written down somewhere. He just couldn’t be bothered to actually look for it apparently. George sighed.

„Eh, let me just text you that real quick.“

And from there the joke somehow spiralled into reality.

* * *

George nervously gave his flat another quick inspection. Even though he knew it basically shined blindingly in the sun. Spick and Span. Because for the whole past week he had vigorously cleaned this place with a determination unbeknownst to him prior. While still handling streams and recordings and coding sessions. George even had moved some furniture around to reach hidden corners, that haden’t seen light since he moved in. This closely had resembled a slight obsession, that only ended when George could no longer find a speck of dust.

He went probably a little overboard to be honest. But he wanted so desperately to give a good first impression, as George knew to be a slightly messy person. Always leaving stuff around to be cleaned rather tomorrow than today. Not to a disgusting degree, but there was always some dirty dishes stacked by the sink. Opened letters scattered across the table, til the wooden surface was just barely visible. A single loose sock and shirt carelessly forgotten by the sofa, without a hint why it had ended up there at all in the first place.

Shit. George prayed his best friend was messy too. Maybe he shouldn’t have cleaned his place as intensely. He was painfully assured of the fact that he wouldn’t be able to keep this set standard up for a whole month. Never mind a whole summer. Far less a year or more.

His eyes lingered a little longer on his last stop, as he gave his soon to be taken spare room another glance. It was very underwhelming. Just an ordinary bed, nightstand, desk, chair and small closet spread out across the room. A lamp each on the desk and bedside. Plain curtains framed the window facing east. As well as a new set of a covered blue blanket and pillow neatly draped over the bed.

George had called his parents last month, after he had pondered on his task to organise furniture for forever it felt like. Dream’s constant bickering reminders, that his best friend would under no circumstances sleep on the floor, hadn’t helped his alarmed unrest. Even if it was mainly meant as a tease, and always followed by a joking innuendo that they could simply share George’s bed instead. It made him furiously blush every time Dream brought it up. His cheeks a violent red, he noticed whenever he was able to see his own reflection.

Luckily they were alone when they talked about it. They hadn’t let anyone in on their plans yet. Not even Sapnap nor Bad. Both men too scared, that the other one would have a change of heart and ditch the other, as soon as it would be ridiculed by their friends.

They both knew perfectly well that it was an insane plan to persue, when the closest they have gotten so far to meet up had been for Dream joining and watching George’s stream, while on call. At least there George actually knew he was seen and heard by his best friend, so he could actually convey emotions and thoughts without putting them into words. Same went for one-sided video chats and facetime calls.

It was also the reason, that it felt so hard for George to actually ask his parents for help.

George probably had the money to spend it on a spare room. He simply wasn’t yet sure if it was inhabited longer than a single month. And then the amount of money would be just too high to waste on a room George never would use again. Thus he had decided to call his parents one evening, out of the blue. His mother had been fairly suspicious on why her son had the sudden resolve to get the long ignored empty space furnished. Even got a little more confused when he had told her that he needed it for Dream, who was going to visit him for a couple of weeks.

A month was basically just a couple of weeks, right?

His parents knew of course about his best friend from the states, and that they were inseparably close, just not to the extent that Dream’s messages were the first thing he woke up to and the last words he fell asleep to at night. They wouldn’t get it.

So George had swiftly added to his explanation that he planned to invite more of his friends in the future. Even if he had only done it to appease his parent’s years of nagging. As well as to get them off his back with follow up questions in one swift sweep. Which caused his mother to be ecstatic and instantly more cheerful when she told him how proud she was that he finally would have some real contact with people and get out of his shell.

It was a sore spot between his family and him. They just wouldn’t understand that he really didn’t felt alone on his own. Tthat he greatly enjoyed the time spent with his friends online. He didn’t love them any less just because he wasn’t hugging them. They weren’t any less of friends to him just because the didn’t sat around the same table to have dinner. Because they did this sometimes over a discord group call, videos included, except for Dream‘s.

He also had a real life child-hood friend, who happened to also have moved to London last year. So it wasn’t that he never went physically out with an actual person, to cause for concern. Thank you very much.

However he didn’t commented on any of his mom’s reproachs and simply let her have the moment of happiness.

With his parents help and asking around inside the family and their friend‘s circle, George and his father had managed to at least provide something for Dream‘s stay. The rest they could worry about when he actually got here and George knew what Dream was missing to feel comfortable. Because that was really all he cared about.

He was about to turn away from the room, when he glimpsed at the massive amount of packages, still taped shut beside the desk. George sighed heavily at the sight.

If not all of this was already stressing him out enough, over the last four days, at least seven different postal and delivery services had dropped off package after package at his door step. The biggest one he had received only yesterday and it was also the heaviest. From guessing by the labels on these boxes they were mostly newly bought electronic equipment. Added on top was one smaller box that was sent directly from Dream‘s home. George knew. His best friend had given him his address years ago. Just in case, Dream had laughed over the phone, while George had noted it down. Whatever that meant. But George had it burned into his mind since then, along with Dream’s mobile number and real name. Just in case.

George glanced at his phone as he pulled himself out of his head, after he had fished it from his jeans‘s pocket. Awfully shocked by how much time he had wasted caught up in his stupid thoughts. Yes, he truly was that stressed out right now, yet it simultaniously was overshadowed by the looming bright excitement to finally be able to see his best friend. In person. Here in London.

He couldn’t be late. He‘d never forgive himself.

Therefore George didn’t lost another minute and got his jacket from the hanger by the front door, while he put on his shoes and locked the door in a hurry. Calling for a cab as he descended the stairs.

* * *

From Dream

it looks cold af. I thought only winter is bad? <

Explain yourself!! <

oh I landed btw <

To Dream

> it’s not that cold. just cloudy

> I‘m waiting already at arrivals

> no rush

* * *

The anticipation had him jittery. George was staring intently at the sliding door, only glancing up briefly at the screens above, to let him know that the flight had landed and was currently unboarding.

Of course he understood that it would take a while for Dream to retrieve his suitcase before he‘d walk out of arrivals. It didn’t kept George from peeking up curiously every time a person, that wasn’t his best friend, emerged from behind the milky glass doors.

He wasn’t even sure whom he was looking for exactly. But Dream had told him it would be obvious, and in case it wasn’t, he could find George easily instead. The younger man of course had seen him before on many endless streams. And also got send at least a dozen occasional photos over the years showing George in every weather and light. George had teased his best friend a couple of times to send one back. Never much minding to only receive jokes in return, when he if nothing else got a couple of blurred hands and loads of food pictures out of it.

He always stubbornly ignored that one little incident that had occured one late night when he had genuinely felt hurt by yet another picture of Dream’s dinner instead of a selfie. It had fallen onto an already hard day, when George had left a bad week behind him, simply wanting to see his best friend‘s face. And Dream must have sensed it, perhaps even heard it in his trembling voice, as the younger man, had apologised over and over in a frenzy. Grasping for any straw to make George cheer up and comfort him. They talked til the sun had come up. However George never got a photo to his request. It was three years ago and it still sometimes stung.

George firmly avoided to bring it up outside of a joke. He‘d never genuinely ask for a picture again.

He despised his own brain for bringing that night to his attention right then. Because George startled at the realisation that Dream was about to move in for a month and that meant that he couldn’t hide himself away for longer. He didn’t exactly know why Dream chose not to show his face, other than Georges own assumptions. But there had to be a reason behind his meticulous refusal to show his face, to not just some random dude, but his best friend at that. The only exception being Nick, though that was a different case. So what would happen, if at some point it got too much for Dream? What if the younger men would regret his visit? What if that was why he was so strict on his own room? So he could hide in it?

George was ready to fall back into his own mind, to drown in the swirl of worries and never ending questions towards their plainly stupid plan, when the door slid open to reveal a couple of people arriving. And one person stuck out in particular.

A tall young man with light brown, no dark blonde, no brown hair stepped out, shouldering a big worn-out leather bag, while he pulled a huge suitcase behind him. The reason George was staring in shock at the person, was caused by two large printed words on a hoodie, that were just about visible with the opened jacket revealing the fabric below: Georgie‘s boi

What a goddamn idiot his best friend was.

And then their eyes met. The two young men immediately darting off towards each other in a heartbeat, halting as they met in the middle, only a couple steps apart. They were struck in disbelieve of the situation. It was surreal. They were actually in the same space and same time, breathing the same air.

George noticed how tall Dream really was, now that they were face to face. He actually had to tilt his head up. If he was lucky he would merely be able to look over his shoulder. George discovered that he could pretty easily bury his head in his best friend’s chest without having to lean down.

Dreams eyes were of a very golden yellow hue, enticing and rich in it’s intensity. George felt it mesmerising to stare at such an odd colour. He almost didn’t wanted to take his gaze off of the younger man‘s eyes. He would have died happy without ever seeing anything else of his best friend.

Because he struggled with the honest awareness coming in crashing fast.

Dream was not his type. Not at all.

Which wasn’t quite exactly right.

He was tanned, kissed by his life in the sun. His shoulders were square. And the eyes big, his gaze charming. His lips weren’t too thin. The jaw had an sharp angle to it. He looked a bit like a typical college jock. And though it wasn’t bad per se, as the younger man certainly was attractive. Definitely lean under the hoodie he wore, as George would at least assume by his built. It unfortunately just was the type of person that George never had enjoyed a single positive encounter with, therefore causing his inner conflict. Especially over his school days. Nothing horrible, just not pleasent.

George was pretty positive that he wouldn’t have thrown him a second glance if he had passed him on the street. He was not a person George would have get caught staring at for a little too long to just be casual. He‘d rather not think about the reason his mind automatically drifted there. It shouldn’t matter to him. It didn’t to their friendship. Dream was a the greatest and most important person in his life.

And right as George reminded himself of that profound fact, Dream grinned at him from ear to ear. Beaming and welcoming and enthralled. As if to prove to the older boy that he was different from others.

He actually had these dangerously cute dimples gracing his expression, that George usually fell hard for.

„Oh GEOOORGIE!“ Dream drew out in his typical tease. His voice barely different from the one George fell embarrassingly regular asleep to on odd days. The voice that kept joking with him and asking him about his day. Excitedly listening to George recount his uneventful grocery shopping experience. The older man keen to bore and drown Dream to death in details, when instead his stupid best friend inquired intently about the sizes of the three oranges George had bought.

Suddenly it connected in his brain.

Suddenly Dream became exactly his type.

George wasn’t sure he‘d ever be able to get caught again staring at another person other than Dream himself, for a little too long to just be casual.

In fact he was probably doing it right now, he realised as the younger man hadn’t yet received his awaited greeting from George. Dream’s suitcase and bag were quickly dropped at their side, forgotten for the moment, when Dream closed the remaining distance between them. Only to gather George into a tight and long embrace. It felt like finally coming home after a long lonely day. All the tension vanished in the blink of an eye. Big hands settled on his shoulder blades, as George thoughtlessly sneaked his arms around Dream’s middle to bury his face above the younger man‘s collarbone. He smelled amazing, even after a nine hour flight. How unfair.

He closed his eyes and smiled.

"Hi, Dream."

George got to touch the body of the person who’s voice he had fallen in love with all these years ago.

To also take this person home with him.

For a whole month.

Fuck.


End file.
